Jan. 8 Showdown: Women’s Basketball Faces Off Against South Florida!

SOUTH FLORIDA (10-6, 3-0 AAC) versus WICHITA STATE (7-9, 1-2 AAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 | 6:00 p.m.
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+
Radio: GoShockers.com/Listen with Pat Strathman 
Tickets: GoShockers.com/Tickets
Father-Daughter Night: Two GA tickets for merely $14 for fathers and daughters. Stay after the game for a father-daughter shootaround on the court.
 
OPENING TIPS
Wichita State hosts AAC preseason favorite South Florida at The Roundhouse on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
South Florida holds a 9-3 edge in the all-time series, having secured victories in both matchups last season.
The Bulls visit Charles Koch Arena for the first time since January 2023.
Wichita State has entered the second year of the Terry Nooner era, while the Shockers bring back their top scorer from conference play, sophomore guard Salese Blow. With nine newcomers in the roster, the Shockers have retained only 37.6 percent of their scoring from the previous season.
Blow and redshirt-junior forward Jayla Murray have proven to be the dynamic duo for the Shockers, averaging just over 12 points each per game.
Blow has topped the Shockers in scoring for seven games, including two outings of 20 or more points, marking her seventh career game scoring over 20.
Murray led the Shockers in scoring during non-conference play, averaging 11.7 points per game along with one double-double. She has recorded double-digit points nine times and was acknowledged in the American Athletic Conference’s weekly honorable mention list after her stellar performance against LMU, where she achieved her first 20-point game with a career-high 24 during the road win against UAB.
Junior Princess Anderson has been a breath of fresh air off the bench for the Shockers, leading the team in scoring on four occasions with a Division I career-high of 17 points during the victory over Prairie View A&M.
Graduate transfer and Wichita local Taylor Jameson returned home for her final collegiate season and has been the leading scorer for the Shockers on four occasions. In the conference opener against North Texas, she made five three-pointers for a total of 17 points.
Wichita State leads the American Athletic Conference in bench scoring per game with 23.4 and ranks second in the conference for rebounds per game with 41.1.
Free throws have been a struggle for the Shockers, placing last in the AAC for free throw percentage (61.9), but they achieved their highest number of free throws in a game (20) last outing in the road win over UAB, with Blow going flawless at 10-for-10 from the line. Blow leads the Shockers in free throw percentage (72.9), standing sixth in the conference.
Murray ranks third in the AAC for field goal percentage (54.8 percent).
All seven of this season’s victories have occurred when the Shockers have surpassed their opponents in rebounding.
The Shockers made a comeback to defeat UAB after trailing at halftime, their first time this season overcoming a halftime disadvantage.
Except for two wins in the Terry Nooner era, all victories have come when limiting opponents to under 70 points, including six of the seven wins this season.
 
STREAKS & TRENDS
Jameson has recorded at least one three-pointer in each of the last 10 games, while Blow has hit at least one three in the past eight games.
Blow has reached double figures in scoring for seven consecutive games.
Blow has started 19 consecutive games for the Shockers.
Blow has achieved perfect free throw shooting four times this season and 11 times in her career.
 
 
 
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Shockers secured their initial American Athletic Conference win, triumphing over UAB 82-70 on Saturday evening at Bartow Arena.
 
Salese Blow and Jayla Murray led Wichita State with 24 points each, marking a career high for Murray and tying Blow’s personal best. Murray also topped the team in rebounds with nine, and Blow went a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe, becoming the first player from Wichita State since Seraphine Bastin in 2020 to maintain a 100 percent free throw rate with a minimum of 10 attempts.
 
The Shockers out-rebounded the Blazers 45-41 and distributed 15 assists while committing only eight turnovers. Wichita State netted 38 points in the paint and shot 20-for-26 from the foul line, achieving their best free throw percentage since their victory over CSU Bakersfield on Dec. 18.
 
Similar to the previous match against the teams, Wichita State had to fight back after falling behind by 12 in the first quarter. The Shockers struggled initially, shooting just 4-for-19 (21.1 percent) during the first quarter. The score was tied at 7-7 before UAB launched a 13-2 run, taking a lead of up to 12 in the opening period.
 
Wichita State began to find its rhythm in the second quarter as Jayla Murray scored 13 points during the session to trim the deficit to four by halftime.
 
Wichita State exploded in the third quarter, outscoring UAB by 11, holding the Blazers without a score through the final 2:51, finishing the quarter with a seven-point lead.
 
The Blazers narrowed the gap to three early in the fourth, but Blow scored 10 points in that quarter to prevent a collapse, sinking five free throws in the final moments to secure the victory.
 
Wichita State’s record improves to 7-9 (1-2 AAC), while UAB falls to 9-6 (0-3 AAC).

SCOUTING THE BULLS

Directed by 25^th-year head coach and the top coach in the American Athletic Conference history, Jose Fernandez, South Florida stands at 10-6 (3-0 AAC) heading into the contest. The Bulls encountered a challenging non-conference slate, featuring five matchups against top-25 teams (No. 2/2 UConn, No. 25/22 Louisville, No. 17/21 TCU, No. 3/3 South Carolina, and No. 9/10 Duke) and achieved victory against Duke with a score of 65-56. The team is spearheaded by senior guard Sammie Puisis, averaging 15.8 points per game. The reigning AAC Freshman of the Year, Vittoria Blasigh, contributes 9.8 points per game for the Bulls. Junior forward Carla Brito leads the team in rebounding, averaging 7.2 per game. Mama Dembele tops the conference in overall assists with 81 (5.1 per game) and steals per game (2.6). Puisis leads the AAC and ranks fifth nationally in three-pointers made with 51 (3.2 per game). The Bulls excel in the AAC for three-point shooting percentage (35.3) and rank second in scoring defense (59.8) and turnovers per game (15.4). USF was favored to win the American Athletic Conference, with Romi Levy being named the Preseason Co-Player of the Year, and Blasigh earning a spot on the Preseason All-Conference Second Team.

 

SERIES VERSUS SOUTH FLORIDA

The two teams are set to clash for the 13^th time in the history of their rivalry, with South Florida leading the series 9-3. The Bulls took both encounters last season, including a seven-point win over the Shockers in the AAC Tournament quarterfinal.

 

LAST ENCOUNTER

Wichita State’s season concluded in the secondround of the American Athletic Conference Tournament saw South Florida prevail over the Shockers, 69-62, in Dickies Arena. Freshman Salese Blow contributed 20 points in the concluding match of her inaugural collegiate campaign, while Ornella Niankan scored in double digits for the fourth occasion this season with 12 points. Daniela Abies led the team in rebounding for the 24^th time this season, grabbing 12 boards and ascending to the sixth position in Wichita State history for single-season rebounds with 302. Four Bulls achieved double-digit scoring, with Carla Brito leading the charge with 14 points and eight rebounds. Blow connected on 8-of-17 attempts from the field, landing three three-pointers, while Abies logged a career-high six assists. South Florida shot 26-for-57 (.460) from the field to progress to the quarterfinals. Ella Anciaux netted the opening points of the contest, ultimately tallying six points and five rebounds, while Blow knocked down her first three early in the opening quarter before the Shockers experienced an almost six-minute drought in scoring as the Bulls went on a 9-0 spree. USF concluded the first quarter ahead, 14-8. Niankan made strides for the Shockers in the second quarter by converting an and-1 and drilling her ninth three-pointer of the season. Blow added her second three in the second quarter, maintaining the Shockers’ competitiveness as South Florida held a seven-point lead at halftime. South Florida expanded its largest lead of the contest to 42-31, with Blow recording eight of her 20 points in the third stanza, while Niankan and Tre’Zure Jobe each sank a three-pointer, narrowing the gap to four heading into the final frame. Abies scored six of her eight points in the fourth period, and consecutive baskets from Raissa Nsabua and Blow equalized the score at 60-60 with 2:38 remaining. The Bulls took a 61-60 advantage, and Abies managed to make 1 of 2 free throws, tying the game again at 61-61. South Florida’s L’or Mputu executed a layup after a timeout to put the Bulls up by two, with Abies again hitting 1 of 2, bringing it to a one-point game. Brito made five free throws down the stretch, while the Shockers struggled to find the basket as the Bulls secured their advancement to the quarterfinal.




WWW

The Shockers achieved their first three consecutive victories during the Terry Nooner era, triumphing over Prairie View A&M, LMU, and CSU Bakersfield.



LEADING LADIES

Through 16 games, Jayla Murray tops the Shockers in scoring with an average of 12.3 points per contest. Salese Blow is also producing double figures, averaging 12.2 per game. Princess Anderson has also been pivotal for the Shockers off the bench, averaging 7.8 points per game. Bre’Yon White stands as the team’s foremost rebounder, averaging 6.2 rebounds per game, with Murray averaging 5.4.



DOUBLE TROUBLE

At the onset of the season, there were no Shockers on the roster who had ever accomplished a Division I double-double. Jayla Murray, Bre’Yon White, and Maimouna Sissoko have each recorded their firsts, with Murray achieving hers in the season opener, White’s in the victory over WKU, and Sissoko’s on her birthday against Memphis.



NOT SO NEW-COMERS

Among the nine newcomers to the 2024-25 Wichita State roster, they collectively bring 20 years of collegiate basketball experience. Nooner recruited three Division I transfers: Taylor Jameson from George Mason, Aicha Ndour from Illinois, and Bre’Yon White from TCU.



Princess Anderson (Pratt CC), Kyleigh Ortiz (Coffeyville CC), Jasmine Peaks (Indian River State), and Maimouna Sissoko (Cloud County CC) all transferred from junior colleges, joining Jayla Murray (Florida SouthWestern State) and Ornella Niankan (Odessa College), making it six Shockers who started their careers in the NJCAA.



#BREMODE

Junior Bre’Yon White recorded her first career double-double in the victory over Western Kentucky and has led the Shockers in rebounding seven instances. She has reached double figures twice this season, marking her initial time in double digits during her career.



T-TIME

Wichita native Taylor Jameson earned a spot on the AAC weekly Honorable Mention list on Nov. 18 after averaging 17 points, 6.5 assists, and 4 steals across two games. She has topped the Shockers in scoring four times and assists six times, finishing in double figures nine times. Jameson has connected on at least one three-pointer in each of the last 10 games and has made multiple threes nine times.



BOBO DA SHOW

Salese Blow, affectionately called BoBo by her mother when she was a child unable to pronounce the L in her last name, embarks on her sophomore season after collecting three American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week accolades in 2023-24. As a freshman, she enhanced her scoring from non-conference to conference play, leading the Shockers in points per game against AAC rivals with 13.5. She achieved 21 double-figure scoring outings, including five performances with 20+ points.



Blow has registered double-digit scoring 10 times this season, including two games exceeding 20 points, leading the team in scoring seven times and earning a spot on the AAC weekly honorable mention player of the week list once.



MURRAY ON THE RISE

Redshirt-junior Jayla Murray returns with renewed vigor after dedicating summer months to training and enhancing her nutrition. More distanced from her ACL injury, Murray, who averaged 7.1 points per game last season, is exhibiting increased confidence. She has guided the Shockers in scoring five times and notched her first career double-double in the home opener against Oklahoma Christian, also recording a career-high 24 points during the road win over UAB.



P3

Princess Anderson had an impactful performance in the win over Prairie View A&M, scoring a Division I career-high 17 points, along with four steals and five rebounds. She also played a pivotal role against Belmont, sinking three three-pointers and finishing with 12 points. Again, she led the Shockers at Kansas with 16 points, at Oral Roberts with 13, and at Memphis with 11. She averaged 26.7 points per game as a sophomore at Pratt CC, leading the NJCAA in scoring.



NEW HEIGHTS

Senior transfer from Illinois, Aicha Ndour, holds the distinction of being the tallest player in Wichita State history at 6-6.



INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR

The Shockers’ roster showcases international talents from five distinct countries, including Canada (Ornella Niankan), France (Fiona Diomande), Mali (Maimouna Sissoko), Mozambique (Carla Budane), and Senegal (Aicha Ndour).



SUMMER WELL SPENT

The Shockers set out on a journey to the U.S. Virgin Islands from July 28-August 2, where they competed in two games against the Canadian team Regina. This trip fostered team bonding and cultural immersion, enhancing their unity both on and off the court. Wichita State secured victory in the first game,107-76, and followed with a win of 69-60 in the second game.